The uncertainty over the exact nature of the Indian football calendar for the 2017-18 season continues, with a meeting between officials of FIFA, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and various stakeholders of Indian football held in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday failing to provide any decisive verdict.
An AFC release simply stated that the onus of deciding the format of Indian football in the short term would be with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), while the Football Players Association of India (FPAI), who were represented at the meeting by president and former India international Renedy Singh, issued a statement indicating that the stakeholders will meet again inside the next 10 days to decide that short-term road-map.
The meeting, called by AFC general secretary Dato Windsor John, was attended by officials of the AIFF, their marketing and commercial partners IMG-Reliance (IMG-R), representatives from clubs of both the I-League as well as the Indian Super League (ISL), former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia and an official from India's sports ministry.
The AFC release also stated that "the history, commitment and contributions made for more than 100 years as well as the new skills, investments and marketing and promotional skills required respect", a sign that the continent's governing body is yet to take a final call on elevating the ISL, which will be conducting its fourth season later this year, to the status of the top division in India at the expense of the I-League.
See more: AIFF's mega meeting in Malaysia may end in a draw
The release added that "independent research would be commissioned and analysed before being evaluated by the AIFF and the stakeholders, with the decisions on the medium and long-term pathway being taken as soon as possible after the FIFA U-17 World Cup," an event that will only conclude on October 28.
With AFC not providing any official recommendation in favour of either the ISL or the I-League, this could leave AIFF with very little time to execute the reorganisation of the Indian football calendar from the 2017-18 season itself.
Should that happen, it would automatically ease the pressure on I-League clubs such as Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, who have shown a reluctance to join the ISL fold due to the franchise fee of Rs 15 crore (about $ 2.3 million) as well as a suggestion to move their home venue outside Kolkata for the first two seasons.